Bear Goes Sugaring, written and illustrated by Maxwell Eaton III. Neal Porter Books, Holiday House. Penguin Random House. 2019. $24.99 ages 6 and up

"Tapping the tree is like slowly letting a little air out of the tire. Only, instead of air, it's sap. And it's being caught in a bucket.
This cycle of freezing and thawing is what causes sweet sap to flow each day during this special time in the spring. It's why we have maple syrup. 
The trees are tapped, and the sap is running. Bear needs to put together her evaporator."

An item in our local newspaper this past week informed readers that trees are being tapped for making maple syrup. It reminded me of this humorous and informative book I have been waiting to share with you.

Bear is our leader. She is accompanied by two friends, Dog and Squirrel. Along the way to learning all there is to know about making maple syrup, the two provide a running commentary on the real reason for it ... pancakes! In doing so, they will have their listeners giggling. Bear is a skilled and knowledgeable worker who is diligent about the process, and moves forward with finesse and determination.

Mr. Eaton informs in an easy, accessible, and accurate manner the full process. The perfect time to start, gathering tapping supplies, choosing the right trees, setting the buckets, collecting the sap, turning that sap into syrup, and tasting it are all carefully described for maximum learning. Despite the often-unwanted help from her silly friends, she gets the job done perfectly. 

He uses text boxes, captions, banners, labels, and wonderful comic-like panels to draw readers from page to page, always learning something from the details provided for the complicated and satisfying process it is to make maple syrup.  The humorous repartee between Dog and Squirrel is a definite draw for young listeners, and smiles abound when the end result is the pancake feast they have been wanting all along.

Backmatter includes a North American map that shows maple syrup territory, a close look at the variety in evaporators and spouts, and a look at a traditional sugarhouse with its chimney and vent. Finally, the author provides a personal note and includes a short list for further reading.

As he has done with other books of nonfiction posted on this blog, Maxwell Eaton here creates a charming nonfiction book for young children. He certainly makes the learning fun for both readers and listeners.